This page contains a collection of questions and answers that NAQT has frequently been asked about its eligibility rules, particularly those pertaining to Division II eligibility.
My team consists entirely of undergraduates; this makes us eligible for the Division I Undergraduate title, right?
Only if every member has not yet completed his or her fourth year of participation in collegiate championship events (that is, SCTs and ICTs ). Players that are in (or beyond) their fifth academic year of competition make their team ineligible for the Undergraduate title. They also make them ineligible for Division II.
I played on a Division I at Sectionals a year ago, but we didn't qualify for the ICT. May I play on a Division II team this year?
Assuming that you meet the other qualifications for Division II, then yes. That is, you would have to be an undergraduate in or before your fourth academic year of competition who had not played on a team that qualified or attended the ICT (in either division) in any year. Merely playing once on a Division I team at Sectionals does not make you ineligible for Division II, only qualifying or attending the ICT. Playing on Division I teams twice at Sectionals (regardless of qualification) does make you ineligible for Division II.
I am playing on a Division I team at Sectionals this year, but I am Division II eligible. If both our Division I and Division II teams qualify, may I play on the Division II team at the ICT?
Yes. This is a specific case of the policy that schools (and not teams or players) receive invitations to the ICT. Any set of (affiliated) players may represent a school at the ICT, assuming they meet the requirements of the division in which they play.
My Division II team consists entirely of undergraduates. Can we win the Division I Undergraduate title at our Sectional?
If the Sectional plays with a combined field, then yes (and, in fact, a team that wins the title under those conditions may choose to take either a Division I or a Division II bid). Such a tournament format is strongly discouraged by NAQT, however, and will hopefully be a rare circumstance. In the more usual case in which the divisions compete separately, Division II teams may not win the Division I Undergraduate title.
My team qualified for the Division I ICT but the team we are sending is entirely Division II eligible; can they compete in Division II instead?
No. Schools may not convert Division I invitations into Division II invitations or vice versa.
My entire team is Division II eligible. Can we elect to play in Division I instead at the SCT?
Yes. But that team will qualify in Division I and may not play in Division II at the ICT.
My team won the Division I (Undergraduate) title at its Sectional; can we add a graduate student for the ICT?
Yes. In addition, a team that qualifies for the ICT with a graduate student may win the Division I Undergraduate title at the ICT if it competes at the ICT solely with players eligible for that title. The eligibility of a team to compete for the undergraduate title is determined by the players it sends to the ICT, not the players that qualified the team at the SCT.
Are professors eligible to compete at the SCT and ICT?
Generally no. Professors who are formally registered and recognized as graduate students as part of their efforts to obtain another advanced degree would be eligible.
I am a graduate student who has never touched a buzzer before. May I compete in Division II?
No. All graduate students must compete in Division I.
Does participation in high school tournaments affect Division II eligibility?
No. Even if a high school player leads his or her team to four straight HS NCT titles, he or she is still eligible to compete in Division II upon joining a college team.
I was allowed to play in Division II at an invitational during the year; may I play in Division II at NAQT?
Only if you meet NAQT's Division II criteria. Your classification by other tournaments has no bearing on your eligibility within NAQT championship events (SCT, ICT).
Last year I competed for a community college team that qualified for the ICT. I am now enrolled at a four-year college; may I compete in Division II?
Yes. Participating in the ICT as a representative of a community college does not affect your four-year eligibility to compete in Division II.
I have a bachelor's degree but am currently attending a community college; may I compete in the community college Sectionals?
No. In fact, you may not even compete in Division II. Players with bachelor's degrees must compete in Division I.
I played in a college invitational that used NAQT questions last year but not at the SCT or ICT. Does it count as one of my four years of competition before I lose my eligibility to compete for the Undergraduate title?
No. Only attendance at the SCT or ICT counts toward that four-year limit.
I was an alternate on a team that attended the ICT last year but didn't play a single minute of any game. Am I still Division II eligible?
Yes, assuming that you meet the other requirements. However, had you played even a single minute of a single game, you would have lost your eligibility.
My school awards both associate's degrees and bachelor's degrees. Can we send a team to a community college SCT?
Yes, if the team consists entirely of players who are enrolled in programs that grant associate's degrees and who meet the other requirements of community college teams. Those players may instead attend four-year SCTs with or without players from the same institution who are not eligible to play in community college SCTs.
I have an associate's degree, may I compete in Division II for a four-year school?
Yes, assuming that you meet the other requirements. You may not, however, compete in a community college SCT even if you are currrently attending a community college in pursuit of another associate's degree.
Last year I was a high schooler who took college classes part time. I competed at the SCT last year on a college team that qualified for the ICT. Am I eligible to compete in Division II this year?
No. Regardless of whether you are still a high school student or have graduated and matriculated at the same college or a different one, you are not eligible. You would be eligible to attend a community college SCT if you enrolled at a community college.
While at a community college, I attended two community college SCTs. I am now in my third year of competition at a four-year college; am I still eligible to compete as an undergraduate, having five years under my belt?
Yes. CC SCT, SCT, and ICT attendance representing a community college do not count toward four years during which you may compete as an undergraduate at a four-year college.
My team received an invitation to the ICT last year, but we declined it. Does that mean that we are still eligible for Division II?
Generally, no. A specific exception granted by NAQT for the 2004 competition year restored eligibility to teams that received invitations off the waitlist with fewer than 28 days to go before the 2003 ICT and who declined those invitations. If you were invited before that, accepted your invitation, or are talking about a different year, that exception does not apply to you. It bears repeating that it should not be assumed that a similar exception (or change in policy) will apply to the results of any future SCT. Teams should assume that if they qualify for the ICT, their members will lose their eligibility whether they accept their invitation or not.
I played on a team that qualified for the ICT last year, but I'm not very good and only scored 5 points per game. May I be granted an exception to compete in Division II again?
No. NAQT has never granted an exception of this form.
I graduated in December; may I still compete on a team that is eligible to win an undergraduate title at an SCT or ICT?
Yes, assuming that you have not competed in the SCT and/or the ICT in four previous competition years (i.e., you're not in your fifth year of competition), then you would still be considered an undergraduate for NAQT's purposes. In short, NAQT considers all graduations during the competition year to take place at the end of the competition year.
I am in a combined program that will grant me a bachelor's degree and an advanced degree at its conclusion. Am I eligible to compete for the undergraduate title? For the Division II title?
It depends on the exact details of the program, but it's certainly possible. Contact us for a situation-specific ruling.
If you have questions about eligibility policies that are not covered here, please don't hesitate to send them to eligibility@naqt.com.